Seacare Maritime Medical Centre to offer Sinopharm shots from November

Seacare Maritime Medical Centre (SMMC), approved by the Singapore Health Science Authority (HSA) to import Sinopharm, will start offering Sinopharm shots to seafarers in November.

The initiative will allow SMMC Doctors to administer Sinopharm to eligible foreign sea crew as part of their ship call services for seafarers on board.

SMMC will progressively roll out the vaccine to the public but said vaccine priority goes to seafarers and maritime workers.

The initiative aligns with the national vaccination programme and the Sea Crew Vaccination Initiative (Seavax) to slow virus transmission and strengthen Singapore’s maritime sector’s resilience against Covid-19.

It also plays a vital role in the global effort spearheaded by the ITF to keep all seafarers safe and protected during the pandemic.

Sinopharm, the sixth vaccine to be authorised by the World Health Organization (WHO) for its emergency use listing, has received WHO validation for its safety, efficacy and quality.

Each of these approved vaccines is effective in helping to protect against severe Covid-19 disease, death and the need for hospitalisation. It requires two doses taken 3-4 weeks apart as the primary vaccination.

To date, about 90 per cent of the 7,500 resident seafarers working in Singapore’s port waters have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while 82 per cent were fully vaccinated.

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